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Today's Earnings: Groupon to post 3Q results

NEW YORK (AP) -- A Barrington Research analyst said Groupon Inc. will likely meet Wall Street's expectations when it reports earnings after the market closes on Thursday. But analyst Jeff Houston added that he's concerned about the online deals company's guidance for the current quarter.

The effects of Superstorm Sandy on small businesses across the Northeast and ongoing economic weakness in Europe could weigh on Groupon's fourth quarter, Houston said.

That said, the analyst estimates that Groupon will end the quarter with 38.8 million active customers, defined as people who have purchased a deal in the past year. That would be up 41 percent from a year ago and 2 percent from the previous quarter. And he has an "Outperform" rating on Groupon's stock.

Analysts, on average, are expecting Chicago-based Groupon to post earnings of 3 cents per share on revenue of $591 million.

Groupon went public a year ago at $20. Its stock has lost roughly 80 percent of its value since then amid concerns about its business model and ability to grow.